Engineers Without Borders (Day)

If you were in a grocery store in a Canadian city today you might have seen something like this:


Engineers Without Borders Chapter members were trying to raise awareness of Fair Trade Certified products - products certified to give producers a guaranteed fair price for their work and promote human development in the communities producing these goods.

The idea is that if consumers have a choice to buy fair products they will do it - activism through shopping. I don't think it solves all the problems with our current trade systems but I do think it is a good step, and potentially leads to people considering the impacts of their actions on the world.

Here in Halifax I would say they are pretty ahead of the curve on Fair Trade awareness and access. We have found fair trade bananas, oranges, grapes, chocolate, tea, coffee and rice so far. Also it didn't really work to have the same kind of event (although one is in the works) yet so instead we had a cool event called "Propelling Change."

We met at the Propellor microbrewery and had a presentor who is an expert on microfinance in Bangladesh - Farzana Naz Shmapa - share some of her research. We raised some money for EWB, learned a lot about microfinance and the Grameen bank (you may have heard of Dr. Muhammad Yunus winning the Nobel Peace prize in 2006), drank some excellent all natural beverages (pop too!) and had a tour of the brewery.

My attempt at a better world was to introduce the event and give a quick into to EWB. Hopefully it contributed to the overall effectiveness of the event and created some interest in EWB. I adlibbed but here is a similar intro for anyone interested.

"Engineers Without Borders (EWB) Canada is a registered Canadian charity working towards human development. There are EWB organization in some other countries but EWB Canada is a stand alone organization.

EWB works simultaneously overseas and in Canada to promote human development.

Overseas EWB works in four countries in SubSaharan Africa, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Malawi, Zambia. They have worked in more countries in the past but have gradually focussed in on these countries to capitalize on great partnership opportunities and allow for more accumulation of locally appropriate knowledge and experience. EWB volunteers are young Canadians who work in (4 month to 2 year ) partnership with existing organizations working to promote human development through improving water and sanitation, impoving rural agriculture production and the associated value chains. Each volunteers 'job description' varies a lot depending on the needs of their partner and the local context of the projects.

In Canada EWB is mainly a student driven organization with 27 chapters at universities across the country, 6 professional chapters, and about 25 staff (some working overseas). These chapters work to promote human development through increasing the development knowledge of their members, promoting public awareness of human development issues and associated behaviour change, advocating for pro poor changes to our systems (like pushing the government to make development aid more effective), and fundraising.

Although EWB does not work on microfinance directly some of our partner organizations do and the 'Propelling Change' event was a chance to learn from an expert on the subject while having some fun and earning some money.

Jumping at formal engagement opportunities

Each large or high risk development project in Canada pours a ton of resources into completing an Environmental Impact assessment that examines the project specific and cumulative impacts of the project on many different aspects of the environment, the local community and society. These assessments are the primary tool for gathering information to feed into the project hearings and approvals. Governments read through these assessments and require additional info for anything that is unclear or incorrect. Stakeholders also have access to the assessments and can present their views at the approval hearings.

This process has been criticized for the level of voice it gives to affected and concerned people (stakeholders) but generally speaking there is some pretty high quality and important research done because of the process.

But then the EAs sit on a shelf. It is incredibly labour intensive to track down relevant EIAs and extract information from them. The actual data is not publicly linked back to the EIAs to track the projects performance.

my attempt...

I signed up at http://environment.alberta.ca/1274.html to the list which updates on Alberta EIAs are sent to. This was to try to get informed and up to date on EIA related news.

Recently through this list I was informed of the survey above:

"The following notice has been forwarded to you in case you wish to participate in the federal government survey. One of the strategic priorities of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (the Agency) is to advance the science and practice of environmental assessment in Canada. The Agency is currently exploring the potential of a national, collaborative online knowledge system to improve EA, particularly to help inform regional cumulative effects assessment.In order to inform the conceptualization and design of a knowledge system, a user needs determination is being conducted by Lynch Stewart and Associates. As such, we are asking for your participation in an online questionnaire. The purpose of this questionnaire is to provide a more comprehensive profile of the interest of all stakeholders involved in EA knowledge generation in Canada. Please use this questionnaire to communicate your issues and concerns, and recommend the kinds of improvements you would like to see. We are asking that you please take 15 minutes to complete a short questionnaire (25 questions - primarily multiple-choice) online before Friday, March 6th, 2009. Please forward the questionnaire to your EA colleagues if you think they would like to contribute their views. To protect anonymity, questionnaire responses will be kept confidential and the results will only be released in aggregated tables. Please direct any questions you may have to info@lynchstewart.com. https://www.keysurvey.com/survey/241357/129c/ "

my attempt at a better world for today is to try to articulate my feedback for the government on EIA process in this survey. I feel like acting when people search out your opinion is one of the most effective ways to engage in creating actual change. I think this was one of those opportunities. What do you think?

For a taste of why EIAs and EIA policy matters, and a more activist action check out: http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5654/t/3791/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=1092

Romeo Dallaire's Challenge

I just finished listening to Senator and fomer General Romeo Dallaire berade a thousand people at Dalhousie university to take action now to lead and challenge Canada and Canadians to change the world. I have meant to create a blog for a while and had some elaborate plans in the back of my mind, but enough is enough - it is time for action.

some messages:

Change is no longer incremental and evolutionary. There are no more security blankets. Change is happening, its revolutionary, its pervasive- so don't just survive it, embrace it and lead it.

Young people are 30% of Canadian voters, but only 15% of them vote. We have a voice, we have the balance of power - SPEAK UP!

Canada is a great middle power - we have the ability and responsibility to change the world. We have been well managed but not well led. We are reactive and short term, especially those in power. It is long past time to start shaping the future and leading the world into it.

Attempt # 1
so without further ado, here is attempt number 1 at a better world. Please give me your feedback on how to be more effective tomorrow.

to: pm@pm.gc.ca, Flaherty.J@parl.gc.ca, Harper.S@parl.gc.ca,Kent.P@parl.gc.ca, Ignatieff.M@parl.gc.ca, Oda.B@parl.gc.ca, Ritz.G@parl.gc.ca

bcc- some key family and friends

subject: Please explain our new overseas development assistance priorities and how they will reduce poverty


Hello, I am a young engineer from Lashburn, Saskatchewan who is a proud Canadian and works hard to be a responsible and engaged global citizen.

I recently learned of Canada's decision to change our list of priority countries for development assistance. I am curious to know what reasoning was used in this change and how it meets the requirements of Bill C-293 that I signed a petition for which is supposed to prioritize poverty reduction above all other motivation for ODA spending.

I am also disappointed to read the following article about how some of our previous partner countries were informed of the change at the last minute rather than being engaged in a process which has a huge impact on their citizens. http://embassymag.ca/page/view/international_development-3-4-2009

If this article is accurate then I am ashamed for the disrespect and indignity with which we have treated these countries whom we have worked in partnership with for so long.

Canada has the ability and responsibility to make the world a better place and effective development assistance is an important pillar of this responsibility.

Can you please tell me:
How did we choose the new ODA focus countries?
How will this increase the effectiveness of our aid in reducing poverty?
How where our previous partner countries engaged in this process?
Why are we still so far off of our pledge to give 0.7% of GNP to ODA, when Lester B Pearson on behalf of Canada is the one that initiated this pledge and convinced the world to commit to it so long ago?

I look forward to your response and to seeing Canada take a leadership role in working towards a more just, prosperous, and sustainable goobal society.

-- Justin Wheler
S0M 1H0